WeFightBack: Activists confront pro-Israel rally at University of New Orleans

New Orleans, LA – Students and community members confronted a pro-Israel rally titled “Declare Your Freedom” at the University of New Orleans (UNO) on Jan. 28. The event featured right-wing Zionist and notoriously anti-Arab speaker Daniel Pipes. About 30 young people were bused to the campus to support the Zionist rally.

But about two dozen UNO students and members of the General Union of Palestinian Students at UNO, joined by the community group Palestine Solidarity Committee, also showed up. These protesters staged a silent walk-out in the middle of the event, some holding signs. As they walked out en masse, they were joined by many others who were upset by anti-Arab and anti-gay marriage comments from the rally’s speakers.

“The way they promoted it I found it a bit hateful,” said Maiadah Bader, a Palestinian UNO student, “they were trying to instigate us but we held our ground.”

“The rally was a mousetrap set up to incite a provocation from us,” said Palestine Solidarity Committee member Olga Rocheeva, “They were photographing protesters up close trying to provoke a response, in a political climate where Arabs and Muslims are facing repression.”

Members of the Palestine Solidarity Committee of New Orleans handed out informational fliers detailing life under Israeli apartheid and occupation. The flier included information on the hummus brand Sabra, a product sold on UNO’s campus which has been widely criticized for its connection to Israeli military groups. Sabra and Tribe hummus brands have been the targets of successful boycott campaigns at numerous campuses across the country.

Jazz musician enters boycott debate

Renowned trumpet player and New Orleans native Kermit Ruffins played the national anthem for the event hosted by the “Allies of Israel” organization. Ruffins is purportedly considering a tour date in Israel, despite growing international pressure on musicians to respect the cultural and economic boycott of the apartheid state. Palestinian civil society made the call for boycott, divestment and sanctions – “BDS” – of Israel in 2005 based on the model that helped topple South African apartheid.

In recent weeks the mega-music festival Lollapalooza was forced to cancel their event in Israel due to lack of participants and Stevie Wonder cancelled a show for an Israeli Defense Forces fundraiser after a huge public outcry. Activists are hopeful that Ruffins will join hundreds of artists and musicians who refuse to endorse apartheid and occupation.

Palestine solidarity activism on the rise

In 2010, activists in New Orleans disrupted a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in and held many large rallies in 2012 during Israel’s Operation Pillar of Cloud, which killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians living in Gaza.

As the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement continues to gain momentum, activists in New Orleans look forward to local victories. In reference to the Jan. 28 rally, one protester remarked, “They don’t know it yet, but they have awoken a sleeping giant.”

What is hidden even more

These lists, do not display the avoidable mortality. A clear and statistical factual evidence, about the number of deaths due to indecent ruling by occupation forces. For even an occupier has obligations under International Laws, Geneva Convention and the Hague regulations, which it is neglecting. These circumstances, together with deliberate policies of the occupier to neglect and even deny every basic human right, severes avoidable mortality which is totally silenced by media or reporting organisations. While in the Holocaust, 1 on 6 Jewish people directly died of deliberate neglect, so if we believe the facts over 1 million due to avoidable mortality, neither should these same circumstances be ignores which are ongoing in Palestine. For this report displays a avoidable morality of at least 0,5 million Palestinians.

How many more dead corpses of Palestinians does the international community need to see in order to act? How many more cruelties and violations of Human Rights, Regulations and International Law will be needed to intervene so this ongoing warcrime is being stopped once and for all?

The Rockets from Gaza Excuse

The Facts
So you only read melodramatic stories about home made unguided firecrackers flying from Gaza, zionism magnifying the flares untill the average ignorant thinks we’re talking 12 meter high nuclear head detonation (chemical nuclear or toxic) loaded warhead carrrying long range missiles.

While in fact, the “TENS OF THOUSANDS ROCKETS” which are allegedly “launched” by Gaza are non detonating, non guided and seldom hit any target at all regarding the alleged number of “rockets” we can easily state it is more a matter of high unlikely a Gaza rocket hits anything at all even more unlikely the chances it will kill.

So let’s behold, the tens of thousands rockets which allegedly were launched: They killed 21 people if internationals counted as well, including Palestinians 29. 29 death from 10′s of thousands of rockets in 10 years, and 29 too many too.

To retaliate these deaths Israel commits the following attacks (kindly notice, all related posts are covered by media, reports and international organisations:

So you did read in worldwide newspapers and media about a home made flare or “flying” from Gaza towards the occupied desert?

But you never read about the DAILY attacks by army, airforce, navy, police, intelligence, undercover agents AND settlers which happen on land from the air and from and on the sea in Gaza as well as in the West Bank? The tens of thousands rockets from Gaza killed as said 29 people inside occupied territories in 10 years.

But #US is keeping the facts from the people, serving Israel and silencing while The power of lies, deceptions and disinformation as Americans pay the price of collective stupidity which is funneled up by their gov’t. Silencing the facts the giv’t knows too well:The Facts US is aware of and hiding for you

Deaths at Checkpoints
You only hear of death or possible death at a checkpoint, when a pregnant American reporter get’s forced 3 times after eachother to go through the X-Ray at a checkpoint.
Only than, media makes a little noise about possible (!) danger for the foetus. 18.000 women a year develop complications due to this policies and 35 children have died since start of monitoring of the effects of obstruction or entrance to medical aid

(This list only displays the direct reported effects of death by policies or denial to healthcare, while te real avoidable mortality rate due to deliberate deprivation of basic needs is much higher.)

For a comparision: During the Holocaust 1 in 6 Jewish people died due to deliberate deprivation of Nazi policies, causing death of 1 million Jewish people. A warcrime. Remembered every year. And this is justified to remember people which are slain in the awful Nazi war

Aside from the number of deaths in Palestine, it is widely silenced that Israel not only in Palestine cause many deaths, but also in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and beyond.

Geneva Convention

Articles 55 and 56 of the Fourth Geneva Convention clearly establish that Israel, as the occupying power, not only has a duty toensure medical supplies reach hospitals in the OPT, but to ensure and maintain the services of the hospitals too. As High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions, other states not only have a moral duty but also a legal obligation to ensure Israel abides by its commitments to the protected population of the OPT.

UN Convention of the Rights of the Child

As a States Party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Israel is obliged under Article 24 of the treaty to recognise the right of every child under its effective jurisdiction “to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. States Parties shall strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right of access to such health care services”.

That is is deliberate targeted to Palestinians may be proven by the fact that Israel donates streetlights to African countries to prevent traffic deaths, but demolishes ‘Imneizils (by Spain funded) solar systems which also provide the hospital, schools and the whole village of basic electricity needs:If Israel would be able to “turn off” the sun above #Palestine, It would” ~ in pictures

But Israel has become exactly as those it feared and hated once themselves. Than it accused beginning of December 2011 Ireland for being the most hostile country in the EU, because it compared Israeli soldiers to Nazis. You make the comparision. Judge for yourself:HaShoah versus Al Nakba – in pictures

As you can read in the previous post these weapons not only kill instantly but also have long term risk effects for health, can cause diseases and/or death in the end. (even in Egypt and Israel itsaelf)

Only(!) during the war 2008-2009, Gaza police have put the weight of weapons dropped on the Strip by Israel during the war two years ago at over 3000 tons.

Tahseen Saad, head of the police force’s explosives engineering unit, indicated that a lot of the weapons used were illegal under international law. Occupation forces used different types of bombs with the most significant ones weighing between 150 – 500 Kg. Most controversial weapons were/are used including white phosphorous bombs which are illegal to use in populated areas.

Furtheron Israel used an assortment of missiles, such as anti-tank guided missiles, against civilians and their vehicles. Israeli army used bombs that dispersed red smoke made up of explosives and tungsten. When the bomb is dropped it sprayed a liquid which creates fog and in less than a second it disappears and the bomb explodes.

The effect of the weapons is not limited to killing. Weapons containing materials that are forbidden under international accords, such as phosphorous, tungsten and uranium, spread cancer in the targeted population, destroy nature and cause terrible burns and amputations. Some of the consequences, like foetal abnormalities, are not immediately apparent.

So next time you see Israel telling, they had another rocket “attack” remember it has the most advanced Iron Dome system which indeed intercepts missiles if there are any REAL ones.

Remember also. Gaza… does have no dome at all. No iron dome, and no dome of Human Rights. It is indiscriminately bombed by F16′s, surveilled and attacked by drones, shelled by tanks, shelled & bombed by navy ships, from coast or at sea, and invasions on the land occur almost daily.
All the above is just a fraction of aggression regarding to the presumptions about the so called waves of rockets from Gaza and to put this into a more realistic perspective.

This is by no means a complete overview and this list can be made exhausting if we go name all passive and direct aggression, oppression in any way imaginable which Israel or it’s settlers impose on Palestinians.

The Right to Self-Defense of Palestine

For who does still not understand the (need or concept of) resistance of Palestine recommended read:The Eagle of Palestine

The average civilian in Palestine has no more of self defense than a stone he or she can throw.
24 Years ago Palestinians massively engaged in civil disobedience and we’re heavily suppressed, which happens even today. Even last friday a unarmed civilian protester Mustafa Tamimi was murdered by the Israeli army. There is still not even evidence he even had a stone.

The First Intifada | انتفاضة – in pictures
24 Years later Palestinians living under occupation for 64 years now, still only have a stone, and some flares while the daily disproportional violence and aggression of the occupier, the collective punishment and the daily oppression and exiling is influencing 11 Million Lives in Palestine but most still outside, unable to return to their home.

While International Law – Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

UDHR Art 13(1)
“Everyone has the right 2 freedom of movement & residence within the borders of each state”

UDHR Art 13(2)
” Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country”

UDHR 17:(2)
“No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.”

UDHR 20(1)
“Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.”

UDHR Art 5:
“No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

UDHR Art 3:
“Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person

UDHR 15:1
“Everyone has the right to a nationality”

All of the Human Rights above, are not valid in Palestine. Just because Israel unilateral decided Palestinians have no rights at all, of no kind at all. Even when this means they pretend to be a Jewish state, violating not even international law, regulations, but also every divine law.

Something to ponder about…
For who not sees or who’s eyes are still closes. IOA has become exactly and even worse than those, they feared and hated once themselves. Using the same atrocities, policies to oppress, ethnically cleanse and eradicate human beings. Creating a new Shoah (Holocaust) for the Palestinians in 1948 with Al Nakba, and sustaining it by hasbara and the world’s ignorance or at least those not using their own mind to reconsider the realistic facts. So Hasbara in 16 words explained:

“Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it…”
~ Joseph Goebbels